Gendered Punishment in Shakespeares Work - Term Paper Example

GENDERED PUNISHMENT IN SHAKESPEARE’S WORK Name Course Lecturer Taming of the Shrew In this part, this essay shall focus on examining the torture the women are subjected to and determine whether the male counterparts are treated better or a vice-versa case. This essay shall focus on permitting the perception of Shakespeare reach the audience as it is with regards to the exact words he uses to describe the women (Ranald 80). Shakespeare’s reference to women in this book, Taming of the Shrew is more of surreptitious in nature. In this book, Kate is depicted as the most embodied woman of them all as a type that is abusive in nature and later on changing into a being that is obedient housewife contrary to her earlier on behaviors. Sly, a once drunkard lady, is transformed into a lord of its kind (Ranald 85). Sly is more often than not scolding the other characters in their ways. Sly is therefore a perfect depiction of shrew in its definition. Kate on her part presents the perfect definition of the word sly in its ancient meaning (Boose 212). In the story, Petruchio is described as a being more shrew than Kate the lady. This represents a masculine orientation of the character, Petruchio (Shakespeare et al. 26). It emerges towards the end of the story that the lady, Kate had proved to be more shrew than him. In a skillful manner, Sly’s perception of how women should serve their husbands is that of a submissive woman who is ready to give in to all the commands of their husband. “And with a low submissive reverence Say, “What is it your honor will command?” Kate on her part has accepted this fate of life and is ready to adapt to the expectations of her reaction towards her husband (Shakespeare et al. 29). She is able to convince the young couple of Bianca a widow in the story to practice a male chauvinistic kind of life. “And with a low submissive reverence Say, “What is it your honor will command?” Gremio had given in to an opinion of having Kate throughout the streets of the town as a way of punishing her for engaging in prostitution (Lamm 42). In this regard, the story represents a society in which the females who engage in prostitution are subjected to humiliation before the entire population when there is no indication of the male counterparts being punished for having engaged in the same practices (Shakespeare et al. 32). Kate utters in dismay asking whether Gremio had chosen to subject her to punishment among her fellows who also engaged in the same. “…is it your will to make a stale of me amongst these mates?” Women are depicted as tools that could be easily disposed of as a means of achieving a target and an objective of its kind. In this regard, the writer perceives women as tools rather than people with an ability to make decisions of their own regardless of the time factor. Kate’s father clearly illustrate example of such characters who could easily dispose of their daughters to pave ways for their personal interests (Shakespeare et al. 68). Kate’s father has decided to find a husband for Bianca, Kate’s younger sister, but before that is done; Kate should first be married hence using her as a decoy. ”…not to bestow my youngest daughter before I have a husband for the elder” In this, Bianca is used to attract other men for her sister. This illustrates a society in which other women could easily be used as decoy to get to the other people in favor of a particular reason. This follows a decision by Kate’s father to find Kate a husband (Kendall, 58). In this plot of finding Kate a husband, Shakespeare presents a conflict of interest as the task goes on. This follows positive comments by males in reference to Bianca and not her sister who was to married off first. This is illustrated when Lucentio set his eyes upon the duo sisters and made positive remarks while referring to Bianca and not Kate (Ronald 62). Bianca’s silence throughout the context does not augur well with her sister, Kate, who gets angered with the same act. In this context, Bianca is seen to be shifting from the key focus of finding her sister a husband and transforms into a creature with its own interest and serves as a potential wife herself. Kate, in this context, thenceforth perceives her sister as not operating in conjunction to her earlier on interests. In this context, Shakespeare has succeeded in presenting a society in which the interests of a woman could be jeopardized by their fellow women (Ganguly 37). The writer does not portray a scenario in which men are authors of misfortunes for their fellow men. Male counterparts are not subjected into finding a wife for their fellow men neither are they used as a trap for women on favor of their fellow men who are unable to find themselves wives. This is evident as Bianca set upon a different task of finding herself a husband instead of her sister. The writer therefore display women as authors of their own misfortunes and punish themselves through betrayal of interests (Ronald 103). This compels Kate to make remarks indicative a discounted character who has accepted her fate. She informs her sister in the belief of her looks as the tools she will thenceforth in search a potential husband (Dawkins 103). “Sir, to your pleasure humbly I subscribe. My books and instruments shall be my company” The marriage between the daughters of Baptista and their found husbands including Petruchio is used by Shakespeare to represent a society whose women are punished. The punishment in this manner is in regard to the terms of reference used by the people they come across. This reference included the reference to these women as wild and untamed, haggard. In this reference, the definition confers a definition that implies perception of these women as having been married very late with reference to the age of their marriage. This kind of analogy do not apply to the male characters who are neither referred as to haggard of suing the funny terms even when they married very late in life. They are also referred to as pigeon on the hooks that are used to entice men in this society (Shakespeare et al 73). This became evident when Petruchio referred to Kate as haggard saying that he would man his haggard (Talarico and Christine 8). ”Another way I have to man my haggard” A similarity exists in this context between the society’s perceptions of both genders. Shakespeare has succeeded in concealing his intent therefore confusing the audience more through the occult way of reference made. His main terms of shrew and sly also apply to men in this part of the story. This is evident when a character, Hortensio, refers to his fellow men as stale. This is made in reference to the other men who were also interested in marrying Bianca (Ronald 107). This society has also indicated a punishment for women by having them molt in an attempt to change their character into those desirable by the society. The women are judged based on their past and the ills that had befell them thus the need to have them cleansed before they could be accepted back into the society as people worthy or settling with men as their wives. This rule does not apply to the men who have equally had a terrible past that in some instances deserved more punishment than those engaged in by the women (Szönyi 48). However, the men believed that the women must first be mewed to be introduced officially and be able to be associated with their new husbands (Shakespeare et al 74). This is clearly illustrated when a friend to Bianca’s father, Gremio, asks to know the den in which Baptista would want to have Bianca mewed up so as to be transformed into the kinds of wives they’d want to have. “…he closely mewed her up” Bianca also expresses herself as someone who would not want herself tied or bound in order to adopt a wife appearance but she’d rather chose to have herself learn without any torturous subjection. “I’ll not be tied to hours nor ‘pointed times, But learn my lessons as I please myself” The writer has also depicted the men as people who could also undergo changes; this therefore does not limit the molting to women only but rather present a similarity in the need for transformation. For men however, it is more of willing natures having them move from assuming a lower role to a higher role. This can be picked when Lucentio as a master role is assumed by Tranio. The arrival of Petruchio to a wedding of also depicts a new man in a new form of appearance, he is described as below: “in a new hat and an old jerkin; a pair of old breeches thrice turned; a pair of boots that have been candle-cases, one buckled, another laced, and old rusty sword taken out of the town armor, with a broken hilt and chapels” In an artistic construction, Shakespeare has illustrated the two main women in this play, Kate and Bianca through change of roles between dispositions and occurrences throughout the story. The change is the Petruchio’s appearance is a vexatious means of duping people into believing him as a changed man though his main intent was to have Kate tamed and mewed up (Huffman 68; Wayne 108). This essay has outlined the punishment of women and the comparison with their male counterparts and the similarities therein accordingly (Shakespeare et al. 34). The terms used in the definition of the play clearly illustrated the perception of the writer and the society to women. The definitions do not just apply to women but the males are equally defined by the citations as illustrated above. Much Ado about Nothing In this play, Shakespeare present a two-scenario set up in which the women and men are presented as having different places on interactions be it drinking pubs and a variation in the places they attend social functions. In this play, the writer presents the feminine world as having succeeded in the dominance of the two set up. In this play, the male character is portrayed as adulterous (Shakespeare & Mares 58). However, female dominance in the play supersedes that of their male counterparts. Don John devised a plan to anger everyone present with announcement that Claudio was being cheated on by his wife, Hero with Hero’s maid. Margaret. Don John succeeded in this by displaying Margaret through the window while dressed in Hero’s clothing. This does not augur well with everyone including Claudio (Shakespeare & Mares 68). This angered Claudio who pledged to humiliate Hero on their wedding day before everyone. True to his word, he humiliated Hero. Hero then suffers humiliation because of Claudio’s egocentrism. The writer therefore succeeded in depicting the male character as someone who could easily believe their male friends without making further inquiries into the supposed accusations (Stephens 208). This therefore makes Claudio guilty throughout the play of embarrassing Hero based on falsehood accusations. This does not just end due to Don John emotional feelings towards Hero. He and Boratio therefore developed a plan to ruin the said marriage once again. Boratio’s pan was as outlined below a plan that Don John agreed with. Boratio: Go then, find me a meet hour to draw Don Pedro and the Count Claudio alone. Tell them that you know that Hero loves me. They will scarcely believe this without trial. Offer them instances, which shall bear no less likelihood than to see me at her chamber window, hear me call Margaret “Hero,” hear Margaret term me “Claudio,” and bring them to See this the very night before the intended wedding, for in the meantime I will so fashion the matter that Hero shall be absent, and there shall appear such seeming truth of Hero’s disloyalty that jealousy shall be called assurance and all the preparation overthrown. Don John: Make the arrangements, and I’ll do it Claudio suffers at the hands of his fellow man. This punishment applies to both genders as Hero also suffers the same at the hands of Don John (Shakespeare & Mares 97). Don John is committed in ensuring the downfall of their marriage because he also has the same feelings towards Hero as Claudio. Male character is also displayed as that with an intention of humiliating the female gender. This comes about during their marriage in which Claudio refers to Hero as a strumpet. This form of punishment comes about because of the preformed decision that Hero is disloyal to Claudio. The female gender is therefore punished even without being given chance to explain themselves (Shakespeare et al. 46). This therefore leaves an everlasting conflict that is not resolved as the female partner is isolated thus cannot express herself regarding the same. In this story, a female, Beatrice, is portrayed as a character that is able to counter the male dominance in their society. She has overcome her role as a submissive woman. This is evident in her dialogue with Benedick that is as follows: Benedick: God keep your Ladyship still in that mind, so some gentleman or other shall ‘scape a predestinate scratched face. Beatrice: Scratching could not make it worse and ‘there such a face yours were. Benedick: Well, you’re a rare parrot-teacher. Beatrice: A bird of my tongue is better than a beast of yours This depicts Beatrice as a strong lady who do not bow to the wishes of male dominance. She expresses herself without fear as should be the case with the females. The male gender is against such trait of being violent as they expect a gentle lady. Beatrice has managed to make her voice heard through her strong tongue and her talkative nature (Shakespeare et al 79). She was able to survive the similar treat Hero went through that led to her death in the long. Beatrice perception towards Benedick was that of less than a puppet. This belief was so because according to Beatrice, the soldiers’ duty was defined by their ability and willingness to comply with orders and follow them. These orders would come from their seniors during the training and when at the field in carrying out their duties. Profession has therefore been used as a factor to limit the potential and the worth of a man. Beatrice therefore subjects Benedick to punishment through her utterances and her conducts towards him for he was just an individual who was there to follow orders from his seniors (Shakespeare & Clamp 37). This could have bred the hatred that was witnessed between the two with hurling of insults towards each other throughout their relationship a common phenomenon (Shakespeare & Clamp 38). Their relationship was also marked with mocking each other as well as booing. The female gender suffers at the hands of the male characters in this book in the context displayed when Claudio has evidently likened his lover to a maid. This is perceived as an insult because the female genders could easily be targeted in the description that was low in the then society. This happened before Hero’s family members that had come to be with her on her wedding day (Shakespeare & Clamp 37). The humiliation Hero was subjected to led to her death with the punishment the authors of her death were subjected to was to announce the innocence of Hero whom they had plot a plan to humiliate leading to her death (Shakespeare & Clamp 94). William Shakespeare in his books of “Taming of the shrew” and “Much ado about nothing” shows in the two books how gendered punishment is practiced by some people in the society. According to (Pollack 75) in taming the shrewd Baptista Minola has two daughters, Katherine and Bianca. They live in Pedua. Katherine who is also known as Kate is high tempered, quick to anger, has a sharp lashing tongue and very shrewd against any man who tries to woo her. This is an attitude that really makes her father a worried man. When she finds a suitor in the name of Petruchio from Verona her father is happy and even promises to give something because he wants her marrying first before her younger sister Bianca. Petruchio is a selfish, boastful, greedy, uncaring and abusive man who came to Pedua to look for a wife and material. Even though he finds Kate he is advised that she is such a shrewd character and that he will not be able to cope up with her attitude. But on the other side Petruchio goes ahead and marries Katherine with a promise that he is going to tame her. This is witnessed when after marrying her he keeps her hungry and tired for some great lengths and insisted that it was assign of love. This art of taming Kate is more pronounced when he boastfully and openly talks on her “Thus have I politically begun my reign.” He is also heard referring to her with an abusive imagery with the term of a falconer “Another way I have to man my haggard.” He continues to emphasize on this when he continues to indicate the low opinion he holds her when he said “To make her come, and know her keeper’s call (4.1.188-194)”. Shakespeare also produces a play about Messina society. In that community a lady called Hero who is the daughter of Leonato who is the governor of Messina. Also in the play is Dogberry who happens to be a constable and by virtue of his work does patrol the streets of Messina to keep order during the night. The play also features Don Pedro who is the Prince of Aragon. In his camp is a man called Claudio who has distinguished himself in the recent war. The Prince has a brother called Don John who is seen trying to woo Hero for Claudio yet on the other side wants to implicate Hero with some infidelity. This is after Borachio confessed that he received money from Don John to lie that he made love to Hero---a lie that he gave to Don Pedro and Claudio. According to Wootton and Holderness (102) this is indicated when he tells Claudio ‘And as I woo’d for thee to obtain her, I will join with thee to disgrace her’ (3.2.126–27). It indicates that Hero is not involved in the initial arrangement of the affair and their relationship is actually between Claudio and Don Pedro. Something comes out strongly in the church during wedding that shows how the manners in which men mishandle women in the society. This is much evident when the wedding of Claudio and Hero is interrupted and even her father ganging up behind the visibly angry groom in rejecting his bride. He is heard referring to her daughter in the statement ‘Give not this rotten orange to your friend’ (4.1.32). Therefore in reference to Mackay (17) gender punishment in the society ladies are the mostly affected as can be seen in both the plays in “Taming of the Shrew” as well as in “Much Ado About Nothing” and at times even involves those expected to provide protection as fathers. On the other hand even though when we take a critical preview of the plays in the two books we can see two male characters facing some sort of slander and being dehumanized. Taking a look at the scene in the “taming of the shrew” we see the author starts with an induction of Christopher Sly who is a drunk and a beggar who is known for menial jobs and also likes cheap alcohol. Through (Mackay 17) the induction, he is transformed into a “mighty Lord”. In this scene Sly is shown being humiliated by a fellow man and thus is an indication of mistreatment of hierarchy status not of gender. Also of concern is the slander of Dogberry by Conrade labelling him an “ass”. Here we also see Dogberry being dehumanized by fellow men. Even though it happened he showed his displeasure of it when he said “O, that I had been writ down an ass!” (4.2.84-85). Therefore taking a close look on all the scenes of the two plays we see ladies facing punishment due to gender a complete departure from the male slandering which were done by their fellow male characters (Hutcheon 11). We also see that in the two plays both the fathers of Kate and Hero are involved in the choices of partners for their respective daughters without involving them. Works Cited Boose, Lynda E. "Scolding Brides and Bridling Scolds: Taming the Woman's Unruly Member." Shakespeare Quarterly 42.2 (1991): 179-213. Dawkins, Claire. "Gendered Narratives of Marital Dissolution in Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale." Women's Studies 46.2 (2017): 95-112. Ganguly, Swati. "The turn of the shrew: Gendering the power of loquacity in Othello." Multicultural Shakespeare 9.24 (2012): 1. Huffman, Shawn. "Amputation, Phantom Limbs, and Spectral Agency in Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus and Normand Chaurette's Les Reines." Modern Drama 47.1 (2004): 66-81. Hutcheon, Elizabeth. "From Shrew to Subject: Petruchio's Humanist Education of Katherine in The Taming of the Shrew." Comparative Drama 45.4 (2011): 315-337. Kendall, Gillian Murray, ed. Shakespearean Power and Punishment: A Volume of Essays. 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